The New Power Party (NPP) on Friday rebutted claims it would be involved in upcoming elections in Hong Kong, as it defended Taiwan’s democracy against criticism from the Hong Kong government.
The party made the remarks after a media report said that members of the NPP would fly to Hong Kong and take the stage at a campaign event to support a specific candidate in the territory’s Sept. 4 Legislative Council elections.
“There is no truth in such claims — none of the five NPP legislators have such plans,” the NPP said in a statement. “The party cares deeply about the development of democracy in Hong Kong. We support an election that is truly representative of Hong Kongers. We are happy to see Hong Kongers participating in this election. With regard to the support of individual government parties, we have never said a word.”
A Hong Kong government spokesperson on Friday said the administration is not in favor of Taiwanese independence supporters visiting Hong Kong, or publicly backing any Hong Kong government organizations.
In response, NPP Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said: “A government that shows itself to be the lackeys of the Chinese Communist Party in everything it does cannot stand together with Hong Kongers. Although I had no plans to travel to Hong Kong, seeing a statement such as this fills me with sadness.”
While responding to inquiries by Hong Kong online media outlet Standnews, NPP Secretary-General Chen Hui-min (陳惠敏) said the Hong Kong authority must heed calls by its people to strive wholeheartedly for democratic freedom, calling such a right Hong Kong’s most valuable asset.
“When all is said and done, does the Hong Kong government want to build a wall to keep people out, or does it want to continue to foster relationships with various democratic societies, maintaining the advantageous position it has long had? This is what the Hong Kong government needs to think about,” she said.
Chen reiterated the NPP’s stance, saying “its position is that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation, whose interactions with China are characterized by unfair state-to-state relations. This party seeks the ‘normalization’ of Taiwan as a nation. Whether Taiwan is independent is for the people of Taiwan to decide. It is not the decision of Beijing or the Hong Kong government.”
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS